Reverto ut Umbra
by ChasingTheLight
Summary: Matthew, Tyrell and Karis return to the cabin only to leave again when the infamous vortex destroys it. As time passes, relations become strained; the secrets of alchemy become twisted and Alex begins to make a move. Can the teens save Weyard in time?
1. Recidivus Domus

Prologue

I stood in shock.

In fact all of us stood in shock. The pulsating hum from the vortex was deafening and it looked enraged as the phenomena throbbed and twitched, threatening to strike out and suck the life out of anyone who dared go near it.

"Uh… Matthew?" came the trembling voice of the red-headed Mars Adept

I couldn't even look at my best friend, my eyes completely transfixed on the Psynergy Vortex, I wanted to keep watch in case it transmuted into something even more frightening.

"What do we do now?" he asked, in desperation

I shook my head.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so frightened in my life," commented Karis, turning to face Tyrell slightly

"Don't say you're not scared I can see you shaking!"

It was true, Karis' hands and legs were trembling and she was making no attempt to hide it.

"I never said I wasn't, it's just even when we were trying to escape Belinsk you managed to stay calm…"

"Guys, stop it. We need to get to the cabin," I interrupted, trying to diffuse the tension

"Matthew's right…" came a familiar, comforting voice from my backpack

Flint, my Djinn, popped out and climbed onto the top of my head.

"At least someone's trying to stay level headed…"

"Level-Headed? Level headed? Have you seen the size of that thing? It's like three times the size of any other vortex I've seen before!" exclaimed Tyrell

"And staying here isn't going to help anyone. I can sense Isaac is around and I'm betting he's in the cabin getting ready." Stated the Venus Djinn

I blinked in confusion.

"Getting ready for what?" I asked him

"What else? Getting ready to leave,"

"Oh great time to chicken out!" came the exasperated reply from Tyrell

"What were you expecting Isaac to do? He can't do anything to it, it would just absorb all his Psynergy," replied Karis

"Not just that… But grow even bigger." Sighed Flint

"You can't be serious!" I almost begged Flint for it not to be true

"Sorry kid, but the boss man is being deathly serious," came another more uppity voice.

This time the disgruntled Djinn, Pewter, appeared and like Flint popped onto my shoulder.

"I can feel a huge warping of Psychic energy in this area, and it's not just coming from the vortex… I think it's also radiating all the way from Mt. Aleph."

"You can feel it too?" asked Flint

Pewter nodded and grunted in agreement.

"What do you mean?" I asked, becoming more baffled as the conversation ran deeper.

"I think we should carry on this conversation back in the cabin…" suggested Karis, beginning to step in the direction.

"Good idea, the vortex doesn't look like it's showing any signs of letting up," replied Pewter

"Just walk quickly, in case your presence disturbs it and it unleashes any energy flares to absorb your Psynergy," advised Flint

As we took the last step off the bridge and out the direct way of the Psynergy vortex, we dashed the rest of the way to my old home – a place I hadn't seen in months. A place I was desperate to see, if not for the nostalgia of a place a spent most of the last 7 years in but also to see my father once again. It still played on my mind why he never came to see me off the day we left on our quest; I know my grandmother couldn't bear to say goodbye to him the day he left Vale but I always thought he would've been stronger, more… able to say goodbye - if that makes any sense. My thoughts were disrupted by Tyrell's loud voice calling out to Garet, who he had spotted on the roof at the telescope.

"Dad! I'm home!"

We saw Garet turn his head quite suddenly in our direction, and a look of concern flashed instantly onto his face. He jumped from the telescope and ran straight to the edge.

"Kids! Get into the house!" he ordered

"We have the feather!" Tyrell replied

"That's great, but get in the cabin now! The vortex looks like it could blow any minute!"

The three of us looked at each other in apprehension. 'Blow'? It could explode? When did they discover this? In fact when did that vortex develop? Nothing made any sense now, unless of course this means that everything we thought we knew was untrue; in which case what will happen now?

"Hey! You heard the man! Get a move on!" snapped Pewter

"Alright, Pewter, calm down," I assured to the Venus Djinn, gesturing to the others to the front door.

"There are times I wish Matthew never let you join us," said Flint, in an uncouth manner

"There are times when I wish that I was still in Kolima Forest, but that's not happening anytime soon is it?" retorted the frustrated Djinn

There were times when I wished that the Djinn would get along and not argue - it was hard enough trying to cope with the clashes of personalities between Karis and Tyrell without having to deal with Elemental spirits as well. We entered the house, which had not changed since we left all that time before, apart from the bags that lay suspiciously on the floor.

"Dad?" I called, cautiously

Karis and Tyrell stepped in and eyed the bags up, before looking at me questioningly.

"It looks like Flint was right," said Karis, scanning the rucksacks.

"Isaac? Are you in here?" called Flint

"Matthew? Is that you?"

My heart skipped a beat upon hearing his voice, and a feeling of relief spread through me. I saw my father come down the stairs, a kindly smile emerged from his face and I couldn't help but run and throw my arms around him, so suddenly that both Flint and Pewter toppled off my shoulders and squeaked as they landed. I never thought I'd ever be so glad to see my father ever in my life and I felt comforted as he returned my hug and embraced me just as hard. My thoughts then turned to my mother back in Kalay, who I hadn't seen since just before I left; she was the single person who I wanted to see more than even my father.

"You've grown so much, look how mature you are," said my father, proudly

"Yeah, not meaning to break up the reunion, Isaac, but there's the little problem of the growing Vortex," came the voice of Garet who had just emerged in the doorway, and walked to towards Tyrell and continued to ruff his son's hair.

Suddenly the fatherly expression had disappeared from his face and was replaced with one of concern and seriousness as my dad turned to face Garet and broke the embrace.

"Of course…" he sighed

"Dad, where did that Vortex come from?" asked Tyrell, looking up to his father.

"We honestly don't know… It literally appeared a few days ago and has been growing ever since," replied Garet

"But it's not just the fact that it has appeared, but also the rate at which it's continuing to grow that's worrying us." added my dad

Karis appeared to flinch.

"A… A few days ago?" she repeated

"Yeah, we could see a massive area of East Weyard that was cloaked in darkness that suddenly disappeared, it was after that the vortex had materialised." Explained Garet

Karis, Tyrell and I looked at each other rather perturbed. Was it the activation of the Apollo Lens that caused this? I was so confused, it wasn't even as if the lens was pointing in this direction, how could it have caused a vortex this size, I wondered.

"At any rate, we need you to get out of this area. It's way too dangerous." Said Isaac

"Well, what will you do?" asked Karis

"You can't really mean to remain here, what could you possibly do that would solve this?" reasoned Flint

"Flint, we have made this our responsibility. We have a feeling that this is strongly connected to Mount Aleph and the partial destruction of Sol Sanctum…" replied Isaac

"And as you guys have the Mountain Roc feather, we need you to take it to Kalay so that Ivan can fix the soarwing."

"But what can you do about the vortex?" I asked worriedly

"Calm down, we'll think of something… If the situation becomes worst, then Garet and I will make our way to Kalay."

"But…"

I trailed off. I couldn't be selfish, not now. I know I had only returned but the world is in far graver danger and even though it hurt to leave my father again, I knew he had a job to do. It was a job he was obliged to thirty years ago.

"But what?" asked my father, slightly concerned

My gaze averted to the floor and then I looked back to his still youthful face with strength.

"Don't worry," I replied

"I know you have to do this. Tyrell, Karis and I will make our way to Kalay, we can handle ourselves"

My father nodded and smiled.

"Good, when the Soarwing is fixed, send us a message by carrier pigeon. It's imperative that it's fixed as quickly as possible."

"I know, we'll make our way there as quick as possible"

"Good boy," my father patted my unruly blonde hair, in his own loving way.

"The Soarwing is all packed, in those bags," he continued, gesturing to the three smallish rucksacks on the floor

"Luckily it's not all that heavy. Your father's a master of design, Karis, he really is," said Garet

Karis smiled and blushed in awkwardness, but only because she too was proud of her dad.

"Well…" said Karis, picking up one of the rucksacks

"We better be off then," she finished

"What?" groaned Tyrell

"Already? But we've only just got back, can't we at least eat?"

I saw Garet roll his eyes and although it was typical of my friend to say that, I couldn't help but crack up at the inappropriate timing. Karis, on the other hand, didn't look nearly as pleased – no surprise there. Then I noticed that she wasn't even paying attention to the conversation, instead she was looking out the window; fear growing in her eyes. I blinked in bemusement, what was she looking at?

"It would only be my son to think of his stomach before everything else," Garet teased, punching Tyrell's arm gently.

I turned my head to where Karis was concentrating. My gaze took me to the window, and I looked beyond it.

"Hey! We've just returned from running around the world!"

It was the Vortex. Karis could see the vortex in the distance, wobbling, contracting and expanding. There were flares whipping out and sparks cracking, even worse than before. I looked to Karis, who looked to me, and I looked to dad, who then whipped his head around to the window – his face becoming one that I had never seen before in my life. One of sheer terror.

"You think that's around the world? You ain't…"

"GET DOWN!" my dad erupted

It happened so fast, that I never got to comprehend what had actually happened.

Tyrell and Garet turned to my dad and could see the vortex suddenly contract until it was nearly invisible. The humming stopped. My father grabbed me and Karis and dove straight to the floor. It hurt my chest as I winded myself landing. I looked across and saw Tyrell and Garet hit the floor as well, Tyrell and I caught sight of each other.

BANG. CRASH.

The sound of thunder reverberated throughout, and shook my bones. I felt the glass from the windows rain upon me, the ground shook violently and my father held me closely to him. Karis cried out in fright as did Tyrell. Fright silences me, as does a lot of things, and I couldn't move. I just lay still, shut my eyes tight and waited until it ended. My ears were ringing with the amount of noise, there was a loud high pitched, almost buzzing sound, which slowly began to fade to an irritating whine and then, after what seemed like forever, completely stopped.

I was afraid to look up. I was afraid to see the damage done to, not just the house, but the outside landscape. Was I even still alive? I felt my father's grip loosen, and it wasn't until then that I realised just how tightly he had been holding me. I then realised that I had in fact been holding my breath for the entire time and gasped to get some air which was full of dust. I dared to open my eyes and felt them dehydrate instantly as the dryness in the air settled on them and sucked out the moisture. I coughed as I sat up, still deaf from the noise, and noticed that there was a ring around us where not so much debris had settled and fallen – it was if a veil had circled around us to protect us. Despite a moment of uncertainty, I could safely say I was alive, as was everyone else to my relief. The cabin was damaged, not to the point of being demolished, but the windows and doors had been completely smashed and one side of the walls had gaping holes punched through it.

"_Cough cough!_ Karis? Tyrell? _Cough!"_

"Matt! Are you ok?" came the voice of Tyrell

"Yeah, I'm fine… Karis? Are you ok?" I asked worried

There came small coughing from next to me, and then Karis struggled to sit up and rubbed her shoulder.

"Yeah… I just hit my shoulder on the way down…"

"I'm sorry Karis, let me heal you…" apologised my dad

Just as my dad made the offer I saw a wriggling in my backpack and Flower, one of my other Djinn flew out and landed next to Karis.

"Oh deary deary me! Don't worry Isaac, you save your Psynergy. I'll take care of Karis…" she said

My dad smiled fondly at the Venus Djinn, as she began healing Karis on her own accord.

"Wow Flower, I don't think I've seen you in years…"

"I know pet! It would be just over thirty years,"

"I'm guessing Flower was another one of your Djinn," said Karis, her face turning into relief as her shoulder was healed. Her Jupiter Djinn came out of her bag and began chirruping and chattering in comfort and worry. Karis simply smiled and reassured them all of her health and then ushered them back into the bag. All the while, Garet was walking around

"Isaac… The cabin…" said Garet breathlessly

"Never mind the cabin."

My dad stood up suddenly and ran to the doorway, only to stop dead in his tracks.

The rest of us got up and ran to join him only to be met with something that silenced us all. All except my father.

"So… You've finally decided to help us then."

Tyrell was the first of us to speak.

"What _IS_ that?"

'That' was something which I had only heard of in stories, something that I heard my father plead to nearly every day and never paid any attention. I was beginning to think that the solitude was turning my father crazy, but now I believe him. I believe in the Wise One.

Well, well, well… How long has it been since I last posted on here? A good couple of years I think… Still upon the long overdue release of Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, I rediscovered why I fell in love with the games in the first place. So, here's my sequel to the third game, I hope you enjoy it and that you'll favourite and review.

Just a few words first.

Before you ask 'OMG WILL THERE BE ANY SHIPPINGS?11!' I'm sorry to disappoint you, but no there will be no romance between the younger characters. No doubt if I was writing this 3/4 years ago then I would've been all for the Karis/Matthew pairing, but for some reason being 19 years old and writing a lot of adventure/Romance fics when young has kind of knocked my enthusiasm for it. I don't feel the need to fall back on romantic happenings to move a story forward anymore – I hope you appreciate this…

Secondly, it's with a heavy heart that I have to admit that some of the characters from the third game won't play a massive part or even appear in this fic. I partly blame Camelot for making the story such that some characters have played their part and now have no real significance. I won't say who but I will say that Amiti will play a MASSIVE part. Now it's been confirmed that Alex's his father (complete mindfuck) you can't possibly leave him out can you?

Anyway, review and advice please :)


	2. Gnarus

Chapter 1

Tyrell, Karis and I stood in apprehension at the massive floating boulder in front of us. I was unable to really comprehend what I was seeing and I could feel my bones quake as its massive eye blinked. The rock had some sort of power emanating from it and even though my dad seemed to stand strong in the face of it, Garet's face contorted into anger.

"What am I? **WHAT AM I?**" boomed the mythical rock, scaring Tyrell to hiding behind Garet, his head just poking from behind him

"I am The Wise One, guardian of the Elements and this earth!"

"Yeah, great job you've been doing with that! We've been wanting your help for thirty years now and you've just sat back and let this happen!" retorted Garet

"**DON'T BE INSUBORDINATE WITH ME MAN!**" the Wise One's words blasted through the air like dynamite, I jumped back into my father, who placed his hand on my shoulder in comfort. I could see Karis becoming increasingly anxious and she edged towards my dad and I.

"What has happened is nothing short of inaction and irresponsibility on your part. I only appeared now because if I didn't do something to control that Vortex's outburst, the consequences would have been too terrible to speak of."

"Wise One, we have been working constantly to keep threats like this under control. This incident is the first of its kind, we had no idea…"

"Isaac," the tone of the Wise One's voice seemed to change

"I gave you, Felix and your friends the task of protecting Weyard after the Golden Sun had been triggered and so far all I have seen is suffering and untold damage to this earth. This is in part of your son's failings."

I flinched in horror and I felt a huge wave of guilt come across me. I knew what I had done was a mistake, I had seen the bodies, I had fought the monsters and now I had to hear about it from the ruler over all that lived. I could feel the tears sting my eyes as the memory of the ghosts in Kaocho had emerged in my head. I took the possibility of them ever seeing their granddaughter ever again away from them, and the granddaughter would see her beloved relatives no more. I could see my father look to me in shock and confusion, as did Garet to Tyrell.

"Matthew… What is he talking about?"

"I'm… I'm so sorry…" I stuttered, blinking and feeling the tears running down my cheeks

My dad frowned.

"Sorry?" he asked

"And so you should be! It was because of you the Grave Eclipse was activated! It was because of you that thousands of people have lost their lives needlessly! And it is because of you that the Tuaparang have now been allowed to run amok!"

"Matthew…"

I couldn't face him. Like I couldn't face what I had done. Instead I looked to Karis who too was crying silently, but then her expression turned to one of complete defiance.

"_LEAVE HIM ALONE!_" she cried, running in front of me, almost as if she was shielding me from the Wise One's words.

The Wise One's single eye widened in shock at Karis' retaliation

"It wasn't all his fault! There were several of us, so if you have to blame someone then you can take it out on all of us!" she exclaimed

"Karis…" I said

"And we didn't do it on purpose! We were tricked by the Tuaparang, Matthew would never put Weyard in danger!"

There was silence and a tension that could be cut with a knife. The Wise One swiftly moved to Karis, his eye looked as though he was scanning her. I knew Karis was a good friend of mine, but I was still surprised and touched that she would stand up for me. I knew it was my fault but I also knew that she would never betray me. Suddenly Tyrell dashed out from behind Garet and stood strong next to Karis, his chin held high.

"Yeah! So if you want a piece of us come and get us! We can take anything you got!"

"Tyrell, you fool! Get back here!" scolded Garet

I smiled and forced my tears back, I knew I wasn't alone. Then there came a disconcerting chuckle from the Wise One, which bemused us all.

"You really are his son aren't you? Brave but in all the wrong ways." Humoured the massive rock

I could see Tyrell getting angry.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that despite your good intentions, you still act like an impulsive child."

Tyrell growled in annoyance, only to have a peaceable hand placed on his arm by Karis

"With all due respect Wise One, sometimes being rash is better than deliberating for a lifetime. We didn't intend on becoming mixed up with the Tuaparang, we only set out on retrieving a Mountain Roc feather and then… due to certain events we ended up triggering the Eclipse…" Karis was interrupted

"Yes, Yes I fully comprehend your quest set out by your parent's… I am, after all, an omnipresent being."

Tyrell looked slightly taken aback.

"Karis…" he whispered

"What does 'Omnipresent' mean?"

"It means he's aware of everything that happens, even if he's not physically there…"

Tyrell's face dropped in disbelief.

"Well, if you're so omnipresent why haven't you stopped these vortexes?" asked Tyrell, with irritation in his voice

"Firstly, being omnipresent is different to having absolute power."

Even my father blinked in astonishment at the comment.

"But… I thought you had control over all that lived?"

"Isaac, you of all people should know that I am merely a guardian. I cannot create and I cannot destroy, for these were the fundamental rules that I myself were made under."

"Dad? What is he talking about?" I asked my father

"The first and foremost rule of Alchemy, my son. Matter cannot be simply made or destroyed, it can only be exchanged for something of equal value."

"Exactly. These vortexes have come about from the huge amount of energy that has been leaking in the atmosphere since the Golden Sun… However, it is only when the elements interact with each other in a certain way that they begin to warp and distort, making the vortexes."

"So, I guess that means they sustain themselves by feeding off the Psynergy that's in the air… then when they become so big that they're incapable of holding themselves together, they go boom." Enquired Garet

"Brilliant deduction, you've become a real thinker since your teenage years."

"But then… The Mourning Moon…" my father pondered out loud

"Hurrumph? What was that, you must speak up…"

"That would make the Golden Sun… A vortex in itself." He stated

We all startled in unison.

"What?" cried out Garet

"It can't be true…" I said to my dad

There was a disconcerting silence from the Wise One, who eventually answered reluctantly.

"Yes."

Tyrell, Karis and I turned to one another in distress. I found it hard to believe that the beacon of light that was supposed to represent all that was good and new in the world, was set to explode – just like a timebomb.

"But not yet."

Well that was some sort of consolation.

"Not yet? You mean the Golden Sun is yet to even become a vortex?" asked Garet

"The Golden Sun will only become a vortex if it becomes corrupted, and I think the three young ones know by what."

Both mine and Tyrell's father looked at us expectantly. At first I had no idea what the Wise One was even talking about, I ran through the last months in my head trying to think of what he was talking about. The Alchemy Forges, The Dynamo, the Apollo Lens…

And then it hit me.

"Well, I've got no idea," said Tyrell giving up almost immediately.

"The Umbra." I said loudly.

Tyrell cocked an eyebrow.

"You what?"

"It's what the Tuaparang want isn't it?" I asked

Karis spoke before the Wise One got a chance.

"Of course… how could we be so stupid…"

"The key to the Umbra is… hidden." the Wise One said vaguely

I could see my dad's patience was beginning to wear thin.

"I'm usually a very patient man, but your secrets are starting to frustrate me. _Where _is it hidden?" he asked sternly

There was another pause.

"It is not a physicality. It is a spirit, which someone has been imbued with. All they have to do is awaken it."

"And so we must stop them." Said Garet

Karis stepped forward with anguish on her face.

"Wise One?" she asked, pleadingly

"Yes, little one?"

"If the Golden Sun is allowed to be corrupted… what will happen to Weyard?"

"I cannot…" The Wise One was once again interrupted.

"Tell us." Said my father with rising anger

The godly rock sighed.

"Sol will turn to Luna… I will turn to nothing but the dust by which I was created, and then Weyard will be plunged into darkness with a new being ruling over all that lives."

My father sighed in anguish.

"I thought it might…"

"What, so… even you can die?" asked Tyrell

The Wise One blinked slowly and looked to the side.

"Not die. Transmute back into what I was made from."

"Well… What's the difference?"

"I'll explain to you all. Later…" assured my father, nodding for effect

"But for now… It seems like we have a journey to get ready for."

We? I turned to my dad abruptly.

"We? So, you're coming with us?" I asked, excitement brimming in my voice

My dad's war worn face softened and he chuckled.

"Well… I would stay. But I dare say our cabin is in no fit state right now," my father replied facetiously, while turning back to the partially marred building.

I smiled in contentment, knowing that I would get to spend more time with my father, Tyrell too looked extremely gleeful with this pleasant surprise.

"I presume you are all returning to Kalay then?" asked the Wise One

"Yes, we need to take this Soarwing to be fixed," my father replied

Again the Wise One paused and closed his single eye, deep in thought, almost as though he was contemplating our entire conversation. We all stood and waited for him to reply expectantly and when he finally did his words were simple, yet irritatingly ambiguous.

"So be it. I will be watching you all."

And with that, the Wise One glowed a deep yellow and we watched in amazement as he shrank into the ether and left us on the mountain, the breeze sweeping across and picking the dust up, tossing it around.

"What? So that's it? He's just left us to it then?" asked Tyrell, incredulously

Garet shook his head.

"Don't be so shocked, he did the same thing to us, all those years ago… I'm actually surprised by how much information we managed to get out of that huge hunk of rock,"

"Yes well…" started my father, walking towards the cabin.

"Hmm?" came Garet's reply

My dad coughed and turned back to his friend.

"Well, we best be going. Time waits for no man,"

Garet suddenly let out a chuckle and began following, as did we.

"Not unless you're a Lemurian, of course!" he joked

Isaac rolled his eyes and gave Garet a knock to his arm, which Garet swiftly returned and the pair of them burst out laughing, engaging in a play fight.

"C'mon kids, let's get this gear and get moving!" my dad called while walking and holding Garet in a headlock.

"We can get to Patcher's by sunset, if we move quickly,"

"Hey Isaac! Let go! No fair! I was always the one holding you in headlock!" Garet complained

"You know what they say, Garet. The times are a'changing!"

The three of us looked at the grown-ups in both amusement and exasperation. Honestly, and I thought we were supposed to be the kids around here.

Even in early autumn, Proxian weather was extreme to say the least. The temperatures were beginning to plummet past freezing point during the night and snow had been falling in short flurries for the past week. The days were becoming shorter and shorter; the inhabitants knew they would be plunged into complete darkness in about a month's time. Of course the occurrence of the Golden Sun had improved the severity of the conditions in the far northern reaches, but still people struggled along as per usual. There was one lone man who didn't appear, at first glance, to fit in with the thick skinned, reptilian –looking population of the city of Prox and yet he walked comfortably in the biting cold amongst the people who had grown so attached him. His reason for being so far away from home was complicated, but, in a simple sentence, he had no home to return to. It was gone, and when his home had gone, he too left his old homeland to a place where he had spent much of his teenage years. It was where he had learned to wield a sword and hone his Psynergy. It was the place that took him in (albeit begrudgingly at first) when he and his parents had been rescued from death; it was the place where he would experience his first real love and the bitter sting when she had sadly died. It was fated that he would end up here, otherwise everything that had happened, would not have.

It was two o'clock in the afternoon and the tall, brunette man made his way to a pub situated just off the town square. The residents of the ever growing town of Prox were still melting the snow off the pathways and had been doing so since the morning, although this had to be done thoroughly – any water left and the pavements would become a treacherous ice rink. The man walked with pride and purpose and nodded in silent greeting to the locals as he did so.

Opening the heavy, oak-framed doors to the tavern, he was welcomed with the warming smell of tobacco, ale and food; the fire was blazing and the room was buzzing with the conversation of many people – both local and foreign. Taxidermy covered the walls (the owner was an avid hunter) and fur throws covered the locally made and embroidered chairs and sofas. It was now a familiar and enjoyable sight to see; a place that was wracked with poverty and the threat of destruction, slowly but surely becoming a place of tourism and commerce, not least because of the new deposits of metals and gems being found but also the discovery of fuel that town was now able to use to heat their homes without worry of ever running out and the major pull for visitors – fishing.

"Hey! Felix!" came the call from the corner

"What took you so long?" came one from a woman

"Heard about the victory, congratulations!" the group proceeded to clap and cheer at his good-fortune

Felix simply laughed and walked over to his group of friends.

"Sorry, I was helping with the clearing of the snow. Someone's cat got buried so I had to scoop it out." He said, his voice rather monotone, taking a seat.

This was met with a chorus of laughs as Felix took out a pipe and began to place the tobacco in the opening, light it and enjoy an afternoon smoke with his friends. They ordered drinks and began to engage in conversion

"So, when do you move to the senate building?" asked a man, whose skin was an emerald green, with yellow lizard eyes and sharp, bony features.

"Next week, I've got to start planning the proposals for the new expedition to Hesperia." He replied messing his considerably shorter hair.

No longer did his hair hang down halfway down his back like in his youth, but it was now shoulder length, kept back in a tiny pony-tail. He had a goatee which, although long, was also well kept – it was braided, the tiny beads representing his many positions (past and present) in the senate in Prox, which itself was approaching it's twenty-fifth birthday.

"What's going on in Hesperia?" asked the female, her sparkly purple eyes flashing in curiousity

"Apparently the natives are seeing those damn Vortexes that that have been popping up everywhere." Came Felix's miffed reply

"What so you're going over there to stop them?" she replied

"Well that's the problem, Trahja, I don't know if we can stop them."

One of the men nodded his head.

"I've heard that things are getting much worst in Angara," he simply said

Felix stopped midway in taking a sip from his pint of Ale and looked at the man slightly pained.

"How much worst?" he simply asked

"I overheard some musicians from Belinsk talking; they were saying how lucky they were to survive. Something to do with a… 'Grave Eclipse'? I think…"

Felix simply motioned with his head and pulled a face.

"I don't know," he replied

"But anyway, apparently some kids managed to stop it, but there was a vortex that was beginning to grow near Kolima…"

"Sol above, what's going on…" cursed Felix, shaking his head and taking another glug of the amber liquid.

"Well, I'm considering us damn lucky. The only vortex we've ever had was that one twenty years ago and it went away as quickly as it came."

"I don't remember that, I think I arrived shortly after the vortex had vanished," stated Felix, puffing away at his pipe.

"How long do you think this will continue happening for?"

"I don't know… I never expected to have to pick this up. I thought my other friends were on the case, but clearly something's going wrong…" replied Felix

"What… so… you're saying that this could get worst?" asked the woman named Trahja

"I'm saying we need to keep our guards up on this, we can't afford to be complacent nowadays."

One of the men chuckled

"C'mon, admit it. You never thought you'd be working for the Senate, a warrior like you…"

Felix snorted partly in amusement and partly in annoyance.

"It was part of the reason why I moved back here. I couldn't be bothered with the responsibilities of our reputations."

"But don't you have a sister back in Angara? Don't you miss your family?"

Felix sighed miserably and became deep in though.

"Yeah… I've got a nephew as well, never seen him though…" chewing the end of his pipe lightly

"Now that is just bad…" replied Trahja

Felix's gaze diverted in awkwardness, he knew it was appalling that he never saw his sister and his parents, and even more so that he had never even met his own nephew. He had seen children in Prox calling people 'Auntie' and 'Uncle' and yet he had never got to experience that first hand. He began to wonder how old Jenna's child would be now – 12? Or was it 15? Surely he could be no older than eighteen. Felix blamed the isolation of living away for his lack of awareness of time, however he couldn't escape the fact that he had cut himself off from his family and so the fault, in truth, lay entirely on himself. His thoughts were swiftly interrupted by the dismissing comment of one of his friends.

"I thought this was supposed to be a happy time! Why are we talking about such depressing things, when we should make a toast to our new M.S!"

Everyone jeered in agreement and grabbed their drinks.

"Hey, Felix!" called the barman and owner, one of the more extreme dragon hybrids.

"Your glass is lookin' a bit empty, I'll fill 'er up on the house,"

Felix gave a half smile and took his half empty glass to the bar, thanking the owner for his kindness.

"Oh… Don't thank me, you've been long overdue for this…" the owner replied

Felix didn't even speak, he only chuckled in dismissal.

"A toast to Felix - finally a trustworthy senate member!"

Felix although taken aback by the comment, carried on tapping glasses with his friends and added some more tobacco to his pipe; pretending to be carefree and happy, when in fact the prior conversation had turned his mind to something more personal - all the years that he had missed and the people that had once been such an important part of his life. But now the world had changed, his life had changed and now it was impossible to ever go back. His life had changed back when he was fifteen years old, when he was taken away and again when he was eighteen; betraying his whole villages' ethos and purpose in the world. Yes it was for the greater good but when a whole village then despises you, despite the good you've done, it's hard to handle. He could never speak with Isaac and Garet the same again after all that had happened and yet a place that wasn't even his birth home, where his family does not even live, can take him in and deem him trustworthy?

'Trustworthy… What does that even mean, anymore?' he thought depreciatively

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I hope to god all the other characters are shown in the next game! :D

If you're reading this, please review :) Reviews make a happy author!


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